Thousands in Serbia, Bosnia flee floods

Thousands of people crammed into boats and army trucks have fled their homes in Serbia and Bosnia after record rainfall turned the Sava river into a deadly torrent and caused the worst floods in more than a century.

According to officials in both countries, the disaster has killed at least 44 people.

Some towns have been completely cut off and rescue teams feared the worst as improving weather allowed them to move in.

Some 10,000 people have been evacuated so far from the worst affected areas of northern Bosnia. In the town of Samac, hundreds of stranded residents were waiting to be rescued.

"We sent rescue teams into a part of the city we had not been able to access so far. They are entering those areas fearing what they might discover," Mayor Samo Minic told reporters on Sunday.

The worst rainfall since records began in the late 19th century caused landslides that brought more destruction and also prompted a landmine warning.

Bosnia's de-mining agency said residents around the towns of Doboj, Maglaj and Olovo - which saw fierce fighting during the war in the 1990s - should be particularly wary.